Dead latch construction



Jan. 1, 1957 A. J. UNETIC ETAL 2,776,158

DEAD LATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG 2 -J 1 27 ea 9 L. x l 22 77fmmw/7 Jan. 1, 1957 A. J. UNETIC ET AL DEAD LATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 19, 1954 FIG. 4.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVE.NTO/?5.

IQTTORNEY.

nited States Patent DEAD LATCH CONSTRUCTION Andrew J. Unetic, Santa Ana, and Leo P. Kolar, Buena Park, Califi, assignors to Kwikset Locks, Inc., Anaheim, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 19, 1954, Serial No. 411,431

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-163) This invention relates to a dead latch wherein a dogging member is utilized to dead lock the main bolt in extended position, said dogging member being movable between operative and inoperative positions by an auxiliary bolt associated with said main bolt.

Among the problems encountered in conventional dead latches is the operation of the aforementioned dogging member to cause it to move between inoperative and operative positions to dog the main bolt. In conventional constructions such operation of the dogging member is accomplished by the utilization of the springs associated with and causing the ejection of the main and auxiliary bolts from the dead latch. Due to the fact that the spring rates of the springs utilized in causing the ejection of the main and auxiliary bolts must be carefully calculated to cause the movement of said bolts, it frequently happens that the actuation of the dogging member becomes a secondary consideration with the undesirable consequence that the dogging member does not function as quickly and as eifectively as is necessary to obtain a smoothly operating dead latch. Furthermore, the action of the springs can impose too large a force on the dogging member causing excessive friction and resultant wear between the dogging member and cam.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide a dead latch which includes a main bolt and an auxiliary bolt, said main bolt having a dogging member associated therewith and said bolt being ejected from the casing of the dead latch by spring means associated therewith, a dogging spring being provided and associated with said dogging member to accomplish the movement of said dogging member between inoperative and operative positions to cause the main bolt to be dead locked in extended position.

One of the primary reasons for utilizing the main and auxiliary bolt extension springs in conventional dead latches to actuate the dogging member of such dead latches is the relatively restricted space within such dead latch housings, necessitating the utilization of various components of the dead latch to serve a dual function because of such space limitations.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a dead latch of the aforementioned characterter wherein the aforesaid dogging spring is interposed between the main and auxiliary bolt spring means and the dogging member itself, said dogging spring occupying a minimum amount of space within the housing of the dead latch, while nevertheless causing optimum operation of the dogging member actuated thereby.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a dead latch of the aforementioned character wherein the dogging spring is isolated from the biasing effect of the spring means utilized to cause the ejection of the main and auxiliary bolts from the dead latch housing and said dogging spring is, therefore, free to act upon the dogging member without the complications which might be caused by the imposition thereupon of the bias of the main and auxiliary bolt spring means.

, ice

An additional object of our invention is the provision of a dead latch of the aforementioned character wherein spring seats are provided in the interior of the dead latch housing for the main and auxiliary bolt spring means and wherein the dogging spring is mounted inwardly of said spring seats between said seats and the dogging member actuated thereby.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a dead latch of the aforementioned character wherein the spring seats for the main and auxiliary bolt spring means are provided at the outermost ends of supporting means secured to the inner end of the dead latch housing and wherein the dogging spring and the dogging member actuated thereby are mounted upon said supporting means inwardly of the main and auxiliary bolt spring means.

Another object of our invention is the provision, in a dead latch of the aforementioned character, of a dogging spring which is substantially U-shaped in side elevation and which includes a mounting arm adapted to be fixedly secured to the aforementioned supporting means and an actuating arm engageable with the aforesaid dogging member to cause the movement of said dogging member from inoperative to operative positions.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a dogging spring of the aforementioned character wherein both the mounting and actuating arms are provided with centrally located openings for permitting the disposition of the main and auxiliary bolt extensions within the confines of the dogging spring.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings which are for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal, sectional View taken on the broken line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken on the broken line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a rear end elevational view of the dead latch of our invention; and

Fig. 6 is an isometric view showing the dogging spring of our invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1-2 thereof, we show a dead latch 10 constructed in accordance with our invention and incorporated in a substantially cylindrical housing 12. Formed integrally with the outermost end of the housing 12 is a radial flange 15 having a housing retainer 17 mounted thereupon, with a face plate 19 operatively secured thereto.

Mounted in the outer portion of the housing 12 are main and auxiliary bolts 20 and 22, respectively, said main bolt being provided with a centrally located slot 23 for the reception of a main bolt extension 25. The main bolt extension 25 is provided with a head 27 located in the slot 23 and operatively secured therein by means of a locking washer 29, said washer, in turn, being operatively secured to the rear end of the main bolt 22 by bent-over flange portions 31 integral with the rear end of said main bolt.

The locking washer 29 is provided with a longitudinally extending finger 33 which serves as a spring seat, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

The auxiliary bolt 22 has a transverse opening 35 provided in the inner portion thereof for the reception of a laterally extending tongue 37 formed integrally with a right-angularly bent arm 39 on an auxiliary bolt extension 41. The auxiliary bolt extension 41 is provided, intermediate its ends, with a laterally extending detent 43 engageable with an opening'45 in the main bolt extension 25 and has formed upon its upper edge a cam 47 engageable by a dogging member 50, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

It will be noted that the right-angularly bent arm 39 on the outer end of the auxiliary bolt extension 41 engages the locking washer 29 on the rear end of the main bolt when the main and auxiliary bolts 20 and 22 are in extended position to prevent undue extension of the auxiliary bolt 22 from the housing 12 of the dead latch 10. The auxiliary bolt 22 is provided with a rearwardly extending tail portion 51 which serves as a spring seat, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

The main bolt extension is provided with a dogging abutment 53 intermediate its ends engageable by the dogging member and has associated therewith an elongated actuator 55 which has a dogging member actuating cam 57 provided thereupon and includes a laterally extending detent 59 engageable in the main bolt extension 25, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The actuator 55 is provided adjacent its innermost ends with guide lugs 61, said guide lugs being engageable with the innermost portion of the main bolt extension 25 to position the same during the retraction of the main bolt 20 by said extension. It will be noted that the innermost ends of the main bolt extension 25 and the actuator 55 are provided, respectively, with upper and lower lobes 63 and 65 which are engageable by a retractor 67 mounted in a cylindrical housing 68.

Secured to the end wall 69 of the housing 12 by supporting means 70 is an end member 71 which is provided with mounting lugs 73 engageable in the cylindrical housing 68 to maintain the dead latch housing 12 and said cylindrical housing in operative relatonship with each other. The supporting means 70 extend through the end wall 69 of the dead latch housing 12 and the end member 71 and are provided intermediate their ends with enlarged cylindrical portions 75 which provide abutment shoulders 77 on their outermost ends, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and terminate in integral reduced mounting bosses 79.

Mounted upon the reduced mounting portions 79 on the outermost ends of the support means 70 are circular washers 81, said washers being adapted to receive the innermost ends of main and auxiliary bolt compression springs 83 and 85, respectively, the outermost end of the main bolt spring 83 being seated upon the rearwardly extending finger 33 on the main bolt locking washer 29, while the outermost end of the auxiliary bolt spring 85 is seated about the integral tail portion 51 of said auxiliary bolt.

I nterposed between the ends of the main and auxiliary bolt spring means 83 and 85 and the dogging member 50 is an actuating spring 88 for said dogging member, said actuating spring, as best shown in Fig. 6, including a substantially vertical mounting arm 89 which has integrally formed therewith an actuator arm 91 for causing movement of the dogging member 50, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

The actuating spring 88 is substantially U-shaped in side elevation and the mounting and actuator arms 89 and 91 are respectively provided with rectangular openings 93 and 95 which permit the passage and movement of the main bolt extension 25, the auxiliary bolt extension 41 and the actuator 55 through the actuating spring 88.

The actuating spring 88 and, more particularly the mounting arm 89 thereof, is provided with laterally spaced openings 97 which are received upon the reduced mounting bosses 79 on the outermost ends of the sup-,

porting means 70 to mount and position the actuating spring 88 between the innermost ends of the main and auxiliary bolt springs 83 and 85, respectively, and the dogging member 50. When the openings 97 are located on the reduced mounting bosses 79 on the outermost ends of the supporting means 70, they are maintained in operative relationship therewith by the circular washers 81.

The circular washers 81 serve to locate the upper end of the mounting arm 89 of the actuating spring 88 in operative relationship with the abutment shoulders 77 on' the outermost ends of the cylindrical portions 75 of the supporting means 70 and also isolate the actuating spring 88 from the bias of the main and auxiliary bolt springs 83 and 85 since inward bias of these springs on the mounting arm 89 of the actuating spring 88 is prevented by the abutment of said mounting arm upon the shoulders 77 of the supporting means 70.

it will also be noted that the upper end of the mounting arm 89 of the actuator spring 88, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, also serves as a spring seat for the innermost ends of the main and auxiliary bolt springs 83 and 85, respectively, the auxiliary and main bolt springs being located, with respect to said upper end, by the circular washers 81.

The actuator arm 91 of the actuating spring 88 is divided into three portions; a lower, substantially vertically oriented portion 99, an intermediate, rearwardly bent portion 101, and an uppermost, forwardly inclined, transverse bar 103.

The dogging member 50, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the drawings, includes a substantially horizontally oriented dogging arm which is provided with a pair of laterally spaced, right-angularly bent legs 107, the lowermost ends of which are provided with arcuate recesses 109 which ride upon the upper portions of the peripheries of the cylindrical portions 75 of the supporting means 70, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The legs 107 are formed integrally with the dogging arm 105 and are joined by a radius 111 which permits the dogging member 50 to rock upon the upper portion of the end member 71, as best shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The supporting means 70 therefore serves both as a support for the dogging member 50 and the actuating spring 88 therefor and, in addition, provides a seat for each of the auxiliary and main bolt springs 83 and 85, respectively.

The main bolt extension 25 and the actuator 55 extend between the laterally spaced legs 107 of the dogging member 50 and said dogging member is thus free to rotate upon the supporting means 70 to permit the actuator arm 91 of the actuating spring 88 to urge the outermost end of the dogging arm 105 downwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings wherein said outermost end is juxtaposed to the dogging abutment 53 on the main bolt extension 25.

The actuator arm 91 and, more particularly, the transverse bar 103 thereof is in engagement with the dogging member 50 immediately below the radius 111 between the dogging arm 105 and the laterally spaced legs 107 thereof.

The operation of the dead latch is as follows: When both the main bolt 20 and the auxiliary bolt 22 are extended from the outermost end of the housing 12 of said dead latch by the action of the main and auxiliary bolt springs 83 and 85, respectively, the cam 47 on the auxiliary bolt extension 41 engages the outermost end of the dogging arm 105 of the dogging member 50 to raise said outermost end of said arm out of engagement with the dogging abutment 53 on the main bolt extension 25 so that, when the main bolt 20 engages the strike, not shown, associated with the dead latch 10, the main bolt 20 and the auxiliary bolt 22 will be free to move inwardly into the housing 12 of the dead latch 10 since the end of the dogging arm 105 will be raised above the dogging abutment 53 on the main bolt extension 25.

However, when the main bolt 20 is extended in an associated opening in a strike, not shown, and the auxiliary bolt 22 is retracted into the housing 12 by impingement upon the contiguous area of said strike, the cam 47 on the auxiliary bolt extension is moved rearwardly to permit the downward rotation of the dogging arm 105 of the dogging member 50 by the action of the actuator arm 91 of the spring 88, as shown by the dot-dash lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the main bolt 20 is extended, the spring rate of the main bolt spring means 83 is quite different from the spring rate of the auxiliary bolt spring means 85 which is compressed by the inward location of the auxiliary bolt 22 within the housing 12.

In conventional dead latches, the difierence between the spring rate of main and auxiliary bolt spring means produces a marked eifect upon the action of the dogging member energized thereby since one spring does not perform as eifectively as the other. However, the provision of the dogging member actuating spring 88 of our invention and its isolation from the biasing effect of the main and auxiliary bolt springs 83 and 85, respectively, insures that the proper actuation of the dogging member 50 will occur no matter what the condition of the main and auxiliary bolt springs 83 and 85 may be, due to the location of the main and auxiliary bolts 20 and 22, respectively.

When the retractor 67 is energized to cause the retraction of the main bolt 20 from the aforesaid opening, the actuator 55 is moved rearwardly to cause the cam 57 thereupon to engagethe outermost end of the dogging arm 1835 or" the dogging member 50 to raise said arm out of contiguity to the dogging abutment 53 on the main bolt extension 25 and to permit the main bolt 20 to be withdrawn from engagement with said opening.

When the dogging member 50 is rocked upon the supporting means 70 by the action of either of the cams 47 or 57 of the auxiliary bolt extension 41 or the actuator 55, the actuator arm 91 of the actuating spring 88 is biased toward the outer end of the housing 12 to permit such rocking of the dogging arm 105 in an upward direction. However, when the dogging arm 105 is released by the outward movement of the cam 57 on the actuator 55, or the inward movement of the cam 47 on the auxiliary bolt extension 41, the actuator arm 91 of the actuating spring 88 moves rearwardly to urge the dogging arm 105 downwardly and thus juxtapose its outermost end in contiguity to the dogging abutment 53 upon the main bolt extension 25.

We thus provide by our invention a dead latch wherein the dogging member is energizable by the action of a spring which is isolated from the biasing efiect of the main and auxiliary bolt springs incorporated in said dead latch. Furthermore, there is included in the dead latch of our invention means for mounting the aforesaid dogging member spring between the inner ends of the main and auxiliary bolt springs and the dogging member while, nevertheless, isolating the dogging member actuating spring from the operative effect of the main and auxiliary bolt springs.

We thus provide for the precise and expenditious actuation of the dogging member incorporated in the dead latch, no matter what the condition or spring rate of the main and auxiliary bolt spring means may be. This is a material advance over prior art constructions wherein variations in the spring rate or condition of the main and auxiliary bolt springs seriously afiect the operation of the dogging member associated therewith.

We claim as our invention:

1. in a dead latch, the combination of: a housing; a main boltin said housing having an extension thereupon; an auxiliary bolt juxtaposed to said main bolt and having an extension thereupon; spring means for extending said bolts from said housing; spring seats for said spring means located intermediate the ends of said housing, said spring seats being provided on pins extending inwardly from the inner end of said housing; a dogging member for said main bolt pivotally mounted in said housing upon said pins rearwardly of said seats; and a dogging spring in said housing interposed between said spring means and said dogging member, said dogging spring including a fixed portion secured on said pins and engaging the ends of said spring means to isolate said spring means from a movable portion of said dogging spring.

2. In a dead latch construction, the combination of: a housing; main and auxiliary bolts in said housing; spring means for extending said bolts from said housing; support means secured to the inner end of said housing for supporting the inner ends of said spring means; a dogging member for said main bolt pivotally mounted on said support means; and a substantially U-shaped dogging spring interposed between said spring means and said dogging member, said U shaped dogging spring having one leg fixedly secured to said support means rearwardly of the inner ends of said spring means and a movable leg interposed between said fixed leg and said dogging member, said movable leg having a transversely oriented bar thereupon engageable with said dogging member to rotate said dogging member into dogging position.

3. A dogging spring for actuating a main bolt dog incorporated in a dead latch having main and auxiliary bolt extensions including a fixedly mounted arm having an opening therein encompassing said extensions and a movable dog-engaging arm formed integrally with said fixedly mounted arm and having an opening therein encompassing said extensions, said fixedly mounted arm having openings therein for mounting said spring on support means and said movable arm having a transversely oriented cross bar for engagement with a dogging member.

4. in a dead latch construction, the combination of: a housing; main and auxiliary bolts in said housing, said main and auxiliary bolts having extensions thereupon; spring means for extending said bolts from said housing; support means secured to the inner end of said housing for supporting the inner ends of said spring means; a dogging member for said main bolt pivotally mounted on said support means; and a substantially U-shaped dogging spring interposed between said spring means and said dogging member, said U-shaped dogging spring having one leg fixedly secured to said support means rearwardly of the inner ends of said spring means and a movable leg interposed between said fixed leg and said dogging member, said movable leg having a transversely oriented bar thereupon engageable with said dogging member to rotate said dogging member into dogging position, said fixed and movable arms of said U-shaped dogging spring having coincident openings therein for the passage of said main and auxiliary bolt extensions therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,148,549 Sparks Aug. 3, 1915 1,876,081 Schlage Sept. 6, 1932 2,250,727 Schlage July 29, 1941 2,293,645 Falk Aug. 18, 1942 2,497,750 Wardwell Feb. 14, 1950 2,645,926 Erkkila July 21, 1953 

